Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Seattle Times, Newsday Sue OpenAI, Microsoft Over Copyright
Two newspapers, The Seattle Times and Newsday, are suing OpenAI and Microsoft.
They say the companies copied newspaper articles without permission.
The newspapers allege that some copied articles were behind paywalls.
They say the articles were used to train AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.
The newspapers also say these tools can repeat or closely rewrite their reporting.
They believe this could mean fewer people visit their websites or pay for subscriptions.
OpenAI says its models use publicly available information and that this is allowed under fair-use rules.
Microsoft said it was surprised by the lawsuit but is willing to discuss possible solutions.
The newspapers want copies of their work and related AI materials destroyed.
The Seattle Times and Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft in federal court over alleged unauthorized use of their journalism.
The lawsuit alleges the companies scraped newspaper websites, including paywalled content, for datasets used to train and operate AI products.
The newspapers say AI tools can reproduce or closely paraphrase their reporting, potentially reducing website visits and subscriptions.
OpenAI said its models use publicly available data and rely on fair use, while Microsoft said it was surprised but open to discussing solutions.
The newspapers seek destruction of copies, training datasets, and AI models incorporating their works.
- Who
- The Seattle Times and Newsday sued OpenAI and Microsoft.
- What
- The newspapers allege that their journalism was copied and used without permission to train and operate AI systems.
- When
- The lawsuit was filed on Friday and reported on September 4; the year was not specified.
- Where
- The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
- Why
- The newspapers seek to prevent unauthorized use of their content and obtain consent or compensation for its use.
Newspapers' allegations
Technology companies' responses
Use of journalism
Newspapers' allegations
The Seattle Times and Newsday say OpenAI and Microsoft copied their reporting, including paywalled content, without permission or compensation.
Technology companies' responses
OpenAI says its models are trained on publicly available data and grounded in fair use.
Effect on news businesses
Newspapers' allegations
The newspapers say AI products can reproduce or closely paraphrase their articles, reducing visits and subscriptions.
Technology companies' responses
Microsoft said it recognizes the importance of local journalism and is willing to explore solutions to the dispute.
Requested outcome
Newspapers' allegations
The newspapers seek an order requiring destruction of copies, training datasets, and AI models containing their works.
Technology companies' responses
The companies' statements did not specifically address the requested destruction order.
- Plaintiffs
- The Seattle Times and Newsday
- Defendants
- OpenAI and Microsoft
- Court
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- Products mentioned
- ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Bing's AI features
- Central allegation
- The companies scraped newspaper websites, including paywalled material, and used articles in AI training datasets.
- Requested remedy
- Destruction of copies, training datasets, and AI models incorporating the newspapers' works.
- Related litigation
- The case follows The New York Times' 2023 lawsuit against OpenAI and Microsoft over alleged unauthorized use of news articles.
